SMS Emden
1. Birth and first actions Emden and his sister ship Dresden were built to replace obsolete cruisers. Both were named after important German cities, although it was not so clear at Emden. Emden was originally named Ersatz Pfeil as a replacement for the light cruiser SMS Pfeil. The keel of Emden was laid on November 1, 1906 in the Imperial Shipyard in Gdańsk. The name Emden was given to it by the mayor of the same city, Mr. Fürbringer, during the launch ceremony on Tuesday, May 26, 1908. The last German cruiser, which powered the steam engine, came to the water because Dresden already had turbines. Emden officially cost 6.38 million marks.